The effective control of virus diseases is primarily achieved, at present, by means of immunization vaccines. For, example, poliomyelitis smallpox, measles and influenza are well recognized diseases in which viral vaccines have proven effective. In general, however, viral vaccines have had only a moderate success in animal prophylaxis. Each vaccine acts primarily against a specific virus and is not heterophilic in the protection it offers. Hence, vaccines have not provided a practical solution against the wide array of infectious viruses, even when limited as for example, solely to respiratory viruses.
One approach to the control of virus-related diseases and, particularly to the spread of such virus diseases, has been to search for medicinal agents or chemotherapeutic agents which are capable of inhibiting the growth of viruses, thereby preventing the spread of disease as well as preventing further damage to cells and tissues of the animal host which have not as yet been infected. Heretofore, only a limited number of virus infections such as smallpox, Asian influenza and herpes keratitis have been prevented by chemical antiviral agents. Sulfonamides and antibiotics which have revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections have substantially no effect upon virus infections. Certain infections caused by large viruses, such as lymphogranuloma venereum, psittacosis and trachoma have been successfully treated using antibiotics and sulfa drugs. However, the majority of infections have not been responsive to attack by chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, it can be seen that there is a need for new chemotherapeutic agents which are effective against a broad range of virus diseases, and which at the same time, are non-toxic to the host.
As a result of a long series of investigations, applicants have discovered a novel class of N-(substituted benzyl)alkanediamines which are particularly useful anti-viral agents. These compounds are effective against a wide spectrum of virus infections and can be utilized in treating such infections either prophylactically or therapeutically.
To applicants' knowledge, the compounds described and claimed herein are novel compounds which have not been described nor reported in the literature. Moreover, these compounds belong to a class of N-(substituted benzyl)alkanediamines heretofor unknown to possess antiviral activity. They possess a wide spectrum of antiviral activity in varying degrees which could not have been predicted from a knowledge of the present state of the art.